Calestia sat fanning herself and watching the sun move into place. When the sun was right were she liked it she closed her fan and looked out over the execution block. She watched as one of her generals, or rather former generals, slipped off his white kimono.
Behind him Calestias head executioner and personal student Twilight sparkle prepared her sword. The general kowtowed with his forehead touched to the ground. "Lady Calestia hime-sama please look upon my death!" He called to the stoic faced princess who twirled her fan in her fingers. "Proceed." She stated opening the fan and covering her mouth.
The general sat back up and took the short blade in his hand; pausing for a moment to look out the corner of his eye to see Twilight with her sword poised and at the ready. He took a few deep short breaths before driving the blade into his stomach and dragging it across. He held in his wheezing screams as he pulled out the blade. He stabbed himself again and repeated the dragging action.
Twilight raised her sword up letting out a scream as she brought her steel down decapitating the dying samurai. Twilight cleaned her sword and prayed for the soul of the warrior she just had the honor of aiding to his death.
As she made her way up onto the walk way to leave the execution block she passed the samurai who followed the late general and heard their whispers. "How were our lords conspiracies uncovered?" One asked. "I'll bet it was that Shining armor that did it." Another answered causing the others to agree. "He has been a hindrance to our clan long enough, it's time he was dealt with." One whispered but not low enough, Twilight stopped in her tacks.
"What was that?!" She drew her sword; the others grasp their hilts ready to duel Twilight. "Are you sure you're ready for this, we're not on our knees bleeding like most of those you've killed." Twilight confidently raised her sword and calmly said, "Oh don't worry you soon will be."
"My my, what goes on here?" They all looked over to see Calestia coming down the walk way. They all went into a bow, "Good afternoon Calestia hime-sama," they all said in unison. "Yes yes." She turned to the other samurai. "Shouldn't you men be arranging your masters funeral?" She removed a few pieces of gold from her sash and tossed it to one of the men. "Make his funeral as good as his death."
She then turned to Twilight, "Come walk with me and you can put your dotanuki away, hopefully you won't have much use for it in the garden." Twilight put away her weapon and followed Calestia through the castle.
Twilight began to speak but Calestia stopped her. "Wait for it." She said pointing over her shoulder at the three samurai still in ear shot. When finally they reached the garden Calestia spoke, "You know I didn't teach you the sword so that you could go spilling blood in my nice clean castle."
Twilight looked down she knew she had to use just the right words when conversing with the princess. Her wise philosophy filled speech meant that one had to really think about their words before speaking. "Sensei, I believe that there is a great conspiracy at work and those three retainers back there are part of it."
Calestia seem to be ignoring her, sniffing a flower she picked before placing it in her sash. "Show me the evidence you have gathered against them." She finally turned to her student. "You do have evidence don't you?" Twilight lowered her head, "well no but I just know it."
Calestia tapped her on the top of the head with her fan. "So you only have intuition no hard proof?" "But…" Calestia hit her again, "How would it look if I just persecuted ponies based off of hearsay?"
Calestia took the gourd tied to her wrist and took a drink from it. "I have ponies investigating the late generals supporters, I'll deal with my enemies accordingly; here drink." She handed the gourd to her student who reluctantly took it.
"Sensei you know I don't drink sake." Twilight took a sniff of the wine and winced. This caused Calestia to cover her mouth with her sleeve and giggle. "Well drinking is my favorite pass time so, if you wish to continue being my retainer, you'll make it yours as well."
Twilight wished to argue farther but Calestia raised her fan causing her to hastily drink. Twilight felt fire burn her throat and stomach as the sake went down. "Good now return home and no more talk of this leave it to me, you have a child to worry about."
Calestia took back her sake and continued to stroll about the garden as Twilight made her way back to her own home on the palace grounds. Once in the door she slipped off her geta and removed her dotanuki before continuing farther in.
"Ah, Twilight-san, welcome home." Her only servant greeted her holding a toddler in her arms. "Hello cinnamon blossom, how was Spike today?" Cinnamon put Spike down and let him run to his mother. Twilight picked up the four year old dragon. "He's been an angel, so well behaved." Twilight nuzzled and kissed the infant in her arms.
"Come Twilight-san, I have dinner already prepared." As Twilight sat down to her meal across town a meeting was taking place. The members of the shadow clan met in a dimly lit room with their new leader cloaked in the shadows of the room.
"Our former leader Dusk shadow was executed today but despite that we must move foreword with our plans." There was a moment of silence before somepony spoke. "How, we are now under investigation, if they unravel the treads now the whole thing will fall apart." From out of the shadows the answer to this question came. "We need to draw this away from us; Calestia hime-sama is very wise and doesn't truly trust anypony."
A hand came out the shadow and in its grasp was a note. "This is a detailed confession of our clans activates; have some of our more disposable ponies hand deliver this to the palace." One of the men took it and ran to get it delivered. "Now have our best fighters ready for what's next."
Twilight was fast asleep with Spike next to her when a loud yelling woke her up. Twilight opened her eyes, slowly got to her feet, and took up her sword. Whoever was making this noise was about to feel her full wrath.
When she answered her door she saw Luna hime-sama, the sister of her sensei and special investigator, and several samurai of the shadow clan. What most alarmed Twilight was that these men didn't wear top coats and had their sleeves tied up, they wanted a fight. Twilight bowed and asked, "Most honorable Luna hime-sama, to what do I owe this honor?"
Luna removed a blood covered note form inside her lapels. "Twilight-san, this confession was hand delivered to the palace, the men who delivered it begged forgiveness then committed suicide."
She opened the note and showed it to Twilight. "According to it there is a great conspiracy at work with you at its head." She folded the note back up and put it away. "Twilight I must place you under arrest, please surrender your sword."
The samurai behind Luna drew their swords and Luna stepped out of their way. "I don't wish to shed any blood so I'll surrender." Twilight reached for her sword to remove it when out the corner of her eye she saw the fighter closest to her twitch and his sword move. She quickly drew her sword and slashed through both his sword and his neck. A cry of "you bastard" came when his headless body hit the ground.
The other swordsmen began to make a move but Luna stopped them. "She is beyond your skill, attacking her will just be throwing your lives away." Luna stepped up to Twilight. "My sister and I believe in your innocence but this is some damning evidence please surrender."
Twilight looked upon the samurai gathered at her door and read their bodies; she instantly knew that if she gave up her sword then that would be it for her. So she took a breath and proclaimed "NO!" as she swung at Luna who jumped back a good yard to dodge. "Take her!" She commanded as Twilight was rushed.
She fell back into her house using the hallway to keep her enemies in a straight line. She disemboweled the first in the line and push the second one into the rest of them. She turned and ran to her room grabbing up Spike. When one of the swordsmen came into the room she slashed clean through his legs; he hit the ground screaming in agony.
She was down to three assailants and even holding Spike under one arm her skill still far surpassed her opponents. She gave one of them two slashes across his chest, he hit the wall and tried to get back to his feet but still fell sputtering to the ground.
Twilight dared the last two to attack, they just looked at each other and panicked. They turned to run and Twilight slashed and stabbed one in his back. The other almost got out the door but when he tried to pass Luna her black bladed katana cleaved clean through him. "How dishonorable, running away like that."
Luna beckoned Twilight to come outside. The sun was beginning to rise when the two stepped out onto the street. "You know Twilight sparkle, I've wanted to duel you for quite some time now but my sister forbade it." She stated raising her sword over her head going into a high stance.
"Maybe you should put him down." Twilight kept a tight grip on her son. "He is the son of a samurai, he was born with death hanging over his head." Luna had the raising sun to her back making it hard for Twilight to see her but Spikes eyes were different; it was his cry of "Okaasan!" That let her know that Luna was attacking.
She quickly blocked the attack locking swords with her. Twilight was slowly being over powered when she suddenly tilted her sword reflecting the bright sun light into Lunas face. When she closed her eyes twilight parried the attack and slashed Luna across her chest. Luna hit the ground holding the purposely near fatal wound.
Twilight looked back to see Cinnamon blossom standing at the door. "Cinnamon take her to the castle and tell Calestia hime-sama what has happened here." "But twilight -san where are you going?"
Twilight put away her sword and looked down at the baby smiling up at her. She looked at the blood covering both of them and knew that things would never be the same again. "It's no longer safe for us here, so we are going to walk the path of demons, the path to hell." She turned and walked off towards the raising sun forever reborn as: Lone pony and dragon.
